Women's Wrestling Weekly Recap & Review #275 | Smark Out Moment

Women's Wrestling Weekly Recap & Review #275

Posted by Dallas Allsopp Monday, April 20, 2020
Welcome to another edition of WOMEN'S WRESTLING WEEKLY—a rundown of the events which have transpired in the world of women's professional wrestling over the past several days not just with the Superstars on WWE programming, but with Impact Wrestling's Knockouts, ROH's Women of Honor, and even a glimpse at the women on the independent circuit.

logo for Divas Debrief Women Wrestlers weekly rundown

WWE Monday Night Raw

Asuka vs Ruby Riott

This was a qualifying match for the women’s Money in the Bank match, which has been changed this year to a Climb the Corporate Ladder Money in the Bank Match.

Asuka entered the match as the favourite, and she didn’t disappoint once. Ruby Riott surprisingly put up a good fight, as she looked strong in her first real extended match since her return from injury. Riott locked in The Rings of Saturn, only for Asuka to counter with an Asuka Lock and pick up the submission victory.

This was a great match, with Asuka restoring her competitive pride, whilst Riott looked strong in defeat.

Winner: Asuka
Rating: 2.5/5


Kairi Sane vs Nia Jax

This was a qualifying match for the women’s Money in the Bank match, which has been changed this year to a Climb the Corporate Ladder Money in the Bank Match.

Nia Jax appeared to be the favourite entering the match, but Kairi Sane was not prepared to roll over. Unfortunately, Jax was in a hurry to assert her dominance, ending the match in less than 3 minutes. Jax ragdolled Sane around the ring, before connecting with a Samoan Drop for the pinfall victory.

This was an acceptable effort, however Sane would have been the better option for the win. Despite this, Jax is on a roll, and she has to be considered a dark horse for the victory at Money in the Bank.

Winner: Nia Jax
Rating: 2/5


Sarah Logan vs Shayna Baszler

This was a qualifying match for the women’s Money in the Bank match, which has been changed this year to a Climb the Corporate Ladder Money in the Bank Match.

This match was all about ensuring Shayna Baszler restored her reputation as an ass kicking machine. Within the space of a minute, Baszler was able to essentially break Sarah Logan’s arm with a devastating kick, which led to a ref stoppage.

Baszler now seems like the favourite for the Money in the Bank match, as she looked more dangerous than ever before. This match would prove to be Logan’s last in WWE, which is a shame as she never really had an opportunity to show her full potential.

Winner: Shayna Baszler
Rating: 3/5


WWE SmackDown

Tamina vs Sasha Banks

This match would determine if Tamina would receive a shot at Bayley’s SmackDown Women’s Championship at Money in the Bank.

Unfortunately for fans, Tamina is in the midst of her yearly push, yet this time she appears to be even worse. Her moves are ineffective, and she brings nothing to her matches. She was able to sneak the victory thanks to the innocent distraction of Lacey Evans taking out Bayley, which allowed Tamina to hit a Superkick on Sasha Banks for the pinfall victory.

This match existed. It was poor, lethargic, and made Banks look poor. Tamina now has a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship, which is a crying shame.

Winner: Tamina
Rating: 1/5


Naomi vs Dana Brooke

This was a qualifying match for the women’s Money in the Bank match, which has been changed this year to a Climb the Corporate Ladder Money in the Bank Match.

Naomi entered this match as the favourite, however it was refreshing to see Dana Brooke presented as Naomi’s equal. What was even more refreshing was having Brooke win the match, as she avoided the Split Legged Moonsault to hit a Sunset Flip for the pinfall victory.

This was a good match, as it was short, sweet, and most importantly, exciting. Brooke now seems poised for a strong few weeks as we approach Money in the Bank.

Winner: Dana Brooke
Rating: 2.5/5


WWE NXT UK

There were no new women's matches this week.

WWE NXT

Xia Li vs Aliyah

This was a surprisingly entertaining match, which is great considering how ineffective Aliyah has been at putting on interesting matches.

Xia Li took control of the match early, but Aliyah managed to get some brief moments of action in. Despite her best efforts, Aliyah fell to a pinfall following a Spinning Kick from Li.

This was a good match, with Li regaining some of her credibility. Aliyah also benefitted from her best performance yet, and hopefully she can build on this in future performances.

Winner: Xia Li
Rating: 2.5/5


Tegan Nox vs Raquel Gonzalez

Raquel Gonzalez has succeeded so far in NXT as Dakota Kai’s enforcer, however this match was the perfect opportunity to prove she has competent in ring ability.

Tegan Nox was overpowered early on, however she was able to wear Gonzalez down and threaten the victory. This brought Kai into play, only for Shotzi Blackheart to even the odds. Nox took advantage of this and secured the pinfall victory via a Cradle.

This match served it’s purpose well as Gonzalez looked strong, whilst also setting up a tag team match further down the line.

Winner: Tegan Nox
Rating: 2.5/5


AEW Dynamite

Britt Baker vs Cassandra Golden

Despite suffering a deviated septum last week, Britt Baker was back in action against Cassandra Golden. Baker was determined to prove that she was still a dominant force in AEW, and this is exactly what she achieved.

Baker dominated this contest, and with just over a minute gone, she hit a Curb Stomp on Golden for the pinfall victory.

It is possible that this match was filmed out of sequence considering the injury she sustained last week, but regardless of the taping situation, this was a good match for Baker to impose her dominance over AEW’s women’s division.

Winner: Britt Baker
Rating: 3/5


Impact Wrestling

Tenille Dashwood vs Taya Valykrie

This was a decent offering from the Knockout's division, with Tenille Dashwood and Taya Valkyrie looking fired up and motivated. Valkyrie has had a strong year so far in Impact Wrestling, however Dashwood has underwhelmed after a strong start.

Dashwood took control early, however it was a fairly even contest. Valkyrie attempted to use a steel chair on Dashwood, only for this to blow up in her face as the referee took it from her, leaving her susceptible to a Sunset Flip from Dashwood and a successful pinfall attempt.

This riled up Valkyrie, who proceeded to attack Dashwood before an incensed Jordynne Grace came to the ring to beat down on Valkyrie. This was a good match, however the post match angle was even better.

Winner: Tenille Dashwood
Rating: 3/5


WWE Main Event

Liv Morgan vs Santana Garrett

Thankfully we weren't treated to a Natalya vs Aliyah rematch, but instead we were graced by a resurgent Liv Morgan and a hungry Santana Garrett.

Both wrestlers showed fire in this match, with Morgan reprising her strong performance from Raw. Garrett had a Muta Lock fully locked in on Morgan, but she was able to escape and hit a series of strikes to turn the tide of the match. A Flatliner connected, with Morgan securing the pinfall victory.

This was a solid match, with Morgan carrying herself like a true star. Garrett was motivated, which ensured this was one of the more enjoyable women's matches on Main Event all year.

Winner: Liv Morgan
Rating: 2.5/5

MATCH OF THE WEEK:
Sarah Logan vs Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler was in dire need of reasserting her dominance on Raw, which she was able to achieve this week with a comprehensive and dominant victory over Sarah Logan. This allows Baszler to claim she is the favourite for the women's Money in the Bank match, and on this form, it is hard to bet against her.

WOMAN OF THE WEEK:
Liv Morgan

Liv Morgan is really coming into her own with her revamped character. Now we are away from the nonsense that is Lana, Morgan is proving she has the ability to put on good matches. 2 victories this week shows that Morgan is on the up in WWE, and hopefully she can carry this momentum with her into Money in the Bank.

So there you have it, the breakdown for the week in women's wrestling. What were some of your favorite and least favorite moments from these women? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!



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AUTHOR OF THIS POST: DALLAS ALLSOPP

Dallas Allsopp is a writer with two main interests, Pokemon and wrestling. He has been writing for a few years for his own personal blogs and is now taking his passion for wrestling and putting it into his writing. You can follow him on Facebook.

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